Environmental Studies

QUESTION BANK

1. The term ‘Environment’ has been derived from the French word _______ which means to encircle or
surround
a) Environ b) Oikes c)Geo d) Aqua

2. The objective of environmental education is

a) Raise consciousness about environmental conditions
b) To teach environmentally appropriate behaviour
c) Create an environmental ethic
d) All of the above

3. Which of the following conceptual spheres of the environment is having the least storage capacity for
matter?
a) Atmosphere b) Lithosphere c) Hydrosphere d) Biosphere

4. Which of the following components of the environment are effective transporters of matter?
a) Atmosphere and Hydrosphere b) Atmosphere and Lithosphere
c) Hydrosphere and Lithosphere d) Biosphere and Lithosphere

5. Biosphere is
a) The solid shell of inorganic materials on the surface of the earth
b) The thin shell of organic matter on the surface of earth comprising of all the living
things
c) The sphere which occupies the maximum volume of all of the spheres
d) all of the above

6. Atmosphere consists of 78 per cent Nitrogen and 21 per cent Oxygen by

a) Volume b) weight c) Density d) All the three

7. Which of the following is a biotic component of an ecosystem?

a) Fungi b) solar light c) temperature d) humidity

8. In an ecosystem, the flow of energy is

a) Bidirectional b) Cyclic c) Unidirectional d) Multidirectional

9. Which Pyramid is always upright?

a) Energy b) biomass c) numbers d) food chain

10. In complex ecosystems the degree of species diversity is

a) Poor b) high c) medium d) none

11. The organisms who directly feed on producers are called

a) Herbivores b) Carnivores c) Decomposers d) Saprophytes
12. The sequence of eating and being eaten in an ecosystem is called
a) Food Chain b) carbon cycle c) hydrological cycle d) anthropo system

13. Which of the following is a producer in an ecosystem?

a) Plants and some bacteria capable of producing their own food b) Animals
c) Human beings d) Fish

14. Which of the following statements is false?

a) Inorganic nutrients are recycled in an ecosystem
b) Energy ‘flows’ through the ecosystem in the form of carbon-carbon bonds
c) Energy is recycled in an ecosystem
d) Respiration process releases energy

15. The largest reservoir of nitrogen in our planet is

a) Oceans b) Atmosphere c) biosphere d) Fossil fuels

16. in aquatic ecosystem phytoplankton can be considered as a

a) Consumer b) producer c) Saprotrophic organisms d) Macroconsumer

17. The basic requirements of human beings are provided by

a) Industrialisation b) Agriculture c) Nature d) Urbanisation

18. Environment is the life support system that includes

a)Air b)Water c)Land d)All of the above

19. In an ecosystem biological cycling of materials is maintained by

a) Producer b) Consumer c) Decomposer d) All of the above

20. Organisms which feed directly or indirectly on producers are called

a)Prey b)Consumers c)Decomposers d)Detritus

21. The primary producers in a forest ecosystem are

a) Chlorophyll containing trees and plants b) Herbivores
c) Carnivores d) Bacteria and other microorganisms

22. Abiotic component includes

a) Soil b) Temperature c) Water d) All of the above

23. Which of the following statement is true?

a) Green plants are self nourishing b) Producers depends on consumers
c) Biotic components includes all non-living components d) None

24. Primary consumer is

a) Herbivores b) Carnivores c) Macro consumers d) Omnivores

25. A predator is
a) An animal that is fed upon b) An animal that feeds upon another animal
c) Animal that feeds upon both plants and animals d) A primary consumer
26. Access to food is mainly determined by
a) Household income b) Food assistance programmes
c) Human resources d) Society/Community

27. The word ‘Environment’ is derived from

a) Greek b) French c) Spanish d) English

28. Which among the following is a climatic factor?

a) Pressure b) humidity c) temperature d) all of the above

29. The major atmospheric gas layer in stratosphere is

a) Hydrogen b) Carbon dioxide c) Ozone d) Helium

30. Which atmospheric sphere is closest to the earth surface?

a) Troposphere b) Stratosphere c) Mesosphere d) Exosphere

31. Which of the following is the terrestrial ecosystem?

a) Forest b) Grass land c) Desert d) All of the above

32. Ecological pyramids are studies of

a) Pyramid of numbers b) Pyramid of biomass c) Pyramid of energy d) All

33. World Environment day is on

a) 5th May b) 5th June c) 18th July d) 16th August

34. Factors responsible for balanced ecosystem are

a) Balance between predator and prey b)
Balance between vegetation, herbivorous and carnivorous
c) Balance between competing species and biotic factors
d) All of the above

35. Which of the following is absorbed by green plants from the atmosphere?
a) Carbon dioxide b) Water c) Nutrients d) All of above

36. Habitat refers to

a) Physical conditions of the place where organisms live
b) Chemical conditions of the place where organisms live
c) Both a & b
d) None of a or b

37. Essential component of social security are

a) Meeting personal growth and development
b) Maintaining natural capital
c) Fairness and equity in distribution of costs of resources.
d) Community resilience

38. Socio – economic security in environmental aspects involves

 a) Fairness & equity in distribution costs for complete existing generation
b) Welfare of the present generation
c) Intra and inter generational equity of resources
d) All of the above

39. A food web consists of

a) a portion of a food chain b) an organisms position in a food chain
c) interlocking food chains d) a set of similar consumers

40. Which of the following statements are true?

a) Man is not dependent on nature
b) Resources are unlimited, so one can use them as per one’s wish.
c) Energy can be converted from one form to another, but some percentage is lost into the
environment
d) Matter can be generated afresh. It need not be recycled or reused.

41. Which of the following conditions must be fulfilled to ensure food security?
a) Food must be available b) Each person must have access to it
c) Food utilized/consumed must fulfill nutritional requirements d) all of the above

42. The word ‘ecology’ (Ökologie) was coined in 1866 by :

A. Charles Darwin
B. Robert Whittaker
C. Arthur Tansley
D. Ernst Haeckel
43. Karnataka state pollution control board was established in the year,
a) 1974 b) 1982 c) 1936 d) 1990

44. Which of the following is the terrestrial ecosystem?

a) Forest b) Grass land c) Desert d) All

45. Major activities that is carrying environmental change is

a) Agriculture b) Industry c) Urbanisation d) All

46. Sustainability requires

a) Conservation of resources
b) Minimizing depletion of non-renewable resources
c) Using sustainable practices for managing renewable resources
d) All

47. Which resources are inexhaustible?

a) Renewable b) Fossil fuel c) Non-renewable d) Mineral

48. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the ___ level.

(A) genetic
(B) species
(C) ecosystem
(D) all of the above
49. A biodiversity hotspot

(A) is a region with a high level of endemic species

(B) that have experienced great habitat loss
(C) both (A) and (B)
(D) none of the above

50. Which one of the following areas in India, is a hotspot of biodiversity?

a) Sunderbans
b) Western Ghats
c) Eastern Ghats
d) Gangetic Plain
51. Which one of the following is not observed in biodiversity hotspots?
a) Species richness
b) Endemism
c) Accelerated species loss
d) Lesser inter-specific competition

52. Which of the following state has got largest forest in the country?
A. Madhya Pradesh
B. Arunachal Pradesh
C. Chhattisgarh
D. Maharashtra

1. Which of the following is not the environmental effect of industrialization, in

general?.
a) Solid waste b) Water Pollution c) Air pollution d) Economic growth

2. which of the following are major environmental issues involved in mining?

a) Air pollution from dust b) Water pollution c) Soil degradation d) All

3. Sustainable development means

a) Meeting present needs without compromising on the future needs
b)Progress in human well beings
c) Balance between human needs and the ability of Earth to provide the resources
d) All the above

4. the most important remedy to avoid negative impact due to industrialization is

a. Industry should be closed
b. Don’t allow new industrial units
c. Industry should treat all the wastes generated by it before disposal
d. Industries should be shifted far away from human habit tats.
5. Mining means
a. to conserve & preserve minerals b. to check pollution due to mineral resources
c. to extract minerals and ores d. None

6. E.I.A. can be expanded as

a. Environment & Industiral Act b. Environment & Impact Activities
c. Environmental Impact Assessment d. Environmentally Important Activity

7. E.I.A. is related to
a. Resource conservation b. Efficient equipment/process
c. Waste minimization d. All of the above

8. In order to protect the health of people living along the adjoining areas of roads, one should
a. Plant trees alongside of the roads b. Not allow diesel driven vehicles
c. Shift them (people) to other places d. None of the above

9. The pollution caused by transportation/vehicular activities depends on

a. Type of the vehicle’s engine b. Age of the vehicle c. Traffic congestion d)All

10 . Sustainable development will not aim at

a) Social economic development which optimizes the economic and societal benefits available in
the present, without spoiling the likely potential for similar benefits in the future
b) Reasonable and equitably distributed level of economic well being that can be perpetuated
continually
c) Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs
d) Maximizing the present day benefits through increased resource consumption

11. Which of the following is a key element of EIA?

a) Scoping b) Screening c) Identifying and evaluating alternatives d) all

12. ‘Earth Day’ is held every year on

a) June 5th b) November 23rd c) April 22nd d) January 26th

13. Eutrophication is
a) an improved quality of water in lakes b) a process in carbon cycle
c) the result to accumulation of plant nutrients in water bodies
d) water purification technique

14. Major purpose of most of the Dams around the world is

a) Power generation b) Drinking water supply c) Flood control d) Irrigation

15. Which of the following is the most environmental friendly agriculture practice?
a) Using chemical fertilizers b) Using insecticides c) Organic farming d) None

16. The adverse effect of modern agriculture is

a) Water pollution b) Soil degradation c) Water logging d) All of the above
17. Soil erosion removes surface soil which contains
a) Organic matter b) Plant nutrients c) Both a and b d) None of the above

18. Water logging is a phenomenon in which

a) Crop patterns are rotated
b) Soil root zone becomes saturated due to over irrigation
c) Erosion of soil
d) None of the above

19. The impact of construction of dams

a) Submerges forest b) Loss of wild life habitat
c) Damages down stream ecosystem d) All

20. Which of the following statement is false?

a) Soil erosion effects the productivity of agriculture fields
b) It takes 300 years for one inch of agricultural top soil to form
c) The amount of erosion depends on soil type, slope, drainage pattern and crop
management practices
d) Soil erosion helps to retain water and nutrients in the root zone

21. Which of the following statement is true?

a) Surface runoff does not carry pesticides into streams
b) Water percolating downward through agriculture lands carries with it dissolved chemicals
and contaminate ground water
c) Present agricultural practice does not contaminate water
d) None of the above

22. Farmers have a tendency to

a) Use optimum quantity of water b) To over irrigate their crops
c) To conserve water d) All of the above

23. Organic Farming is

a) Farming without using pesticides and chemical fertilizers
b) Enhances biodiversity
c) Promotes soil biological activity
d) All of the above

24. What would you do to prevent environmental damage?

a) Plant trees b) Halt deforestation c) Control pollution d) All

25. Environmental impact assessment

a) Is a study of feasibility of a project
b) Is a study of bio-physical characteristics of the environment that may result from a human
action
c) Both ‘a’ and ‘b’
d) None of the above
26. EIA study will help
a) Maximizing the benefits without overloading the planets ecosystem
b) To estimate the future needs of the society
c) To smooth implementation of the project
d) To cope up with rapid growth of population

27. Ecosystem is disturbed by housing activity because

a) Large volume of raw materials like brick, stone, timber, cement, steel plastic
etc are required to be produced
b) Housing is required to provide shelter to growing population
c) Majority of housing projects are concentrated in cities only
d) Standard of living is increased by modern houses

28. Environmental impact of mining

a) Brings order into social setup
b) Devastation of ecosystem
c) Present mining activity is a sustainable development
d) Mining has no adverse effect on ecosystem as it is located in remote areas

29. Effect of modern agriculture on soil is due to

a) Erosion b) Acidification c) Salinization d) All

30. Bio-remediation means the removal of contaminants from

a) Soil b) Wastewater c) Groundwater d) Both (a)and (c)

31. World AIDS day is

a) 1st July b) 5th June c) 1st December d) 2nd October

32. Water borne disease can spread rapidly due to

a) Proper sanitation b) Improper sanitation
c) Improve sanitation d) None of these
33. The disease like amoebiasis , giardiasis are caused by
a) Protoza b) Virus c)Bacteria d) All of these

34. The most important fuel used by nuclear power plant is

a) U – 235 b) U- 238 c) U – 245 d) U – 248

35. What is the maximum allowable concentration of fluorides in drinking water?

a) 1.0 milligram per liter b) 1.25 milligram per liter
c) 1.50 milligram per liter d) 1.75 milligram per liter

36. Plants can take up nitrogen in two forms _________

a) NH4+ & NO3 b) NH3 & N2 c) NO3 d) NO2
37. Which of the following is not a natural mineral?

a) Asbestos b) feldspar c) Phosphate d) Nitrogen

38. As per BIS. the permissible limit of PH value of drinking water is.
a) 7.0 b) 6.5 - 7.5 c) 6.0 - 8.5 d) 6.5 - 8.5

39. Solar radiation consists of

a) UV b) Visible light c) Infrared d) All of these

40. Excess fluorides in drinking water is likely to cause

a) Blue babies b) fluorosis c) taste and odour d) intestinal irritation

41. Major sources of fluoride is

a) River water b) Tooth paste c) Ground water d) Food products

42. Minemata desease is caused by excessive amount of

a) Mercury b) Nitrate c) Fluoride d) Lead

43. Which of the following is biotic?

a) Forest b) Iron c) water land d) None

44. Which district in Karnataka contain highest fluoride content?

a) Kolar b) Gulbarga c) Chitradurga d) Raichur

45. Mineral is a
a) organic matter b) Naturally occurring inorganic substance
c) Synthetic compound d) None

46. Blue baby syndrome (Mathaeglobinemia) is caused by the contamination of water due to
a) Phosphate b) Sulphur c) Arsenic d) Nitrates

47. Mining means

a. to conserve & preserve minerals b. to check pollution due to mineral resources
c. to extract minerals and ores d. None

48. The adverse effect of modern agriculture is

a) Water pollution b) Soil degradation c) Water logging d) All of the above

49. About …………% of the earth’s surface is covered by water

a) 53% b) 19% c) 71% d) 90%

50. During photosynthesis, trees produce

a) Oxygen b) Carbon Dioxide c) Nitrogen d) Carbon Monoxide
51. Problems of Hydrogen fuel cell is
a) storage and distribution b) availability of hydrogen
c) creates pollution d) None of the above

52. Nuclear power plant in Karnataka is located at

a) Bhadravathi b) Sandur c) Raichur d) Kaiga

54. Which of the following is used as moderator in the nuclear reactor?

a) Graphite b) Helium gas c) Heavy water d) All of the above

55. Nuclear power is being produced from

a) Carbon-14 b) nuclear fission c) petroleum combustion d) natural gas

56. Harnessing the wind energy is done by

a) Wind Mill b) Ball mill c) Flour Mill d) Pig mill

57. ‘OTEC’ is an energy technology that converts

a) energy in large tides of ocean to generate electricity
b) energy in ocean waves to generate electricity
c) energy in ocean due to thermal gradient to generate electricity
d) energy in the fast moving ocean currents to generate electricity

58. Biomass power generation uses

a) Crops b) Animal dung c) Wood d) All of these

59. Chernobyl nuclear disaster occurred in the year

a) 1984 b) 1952 c) 1986 d) 1987

60. Wind energy generation depends on

a) direction of wind b) velocity of wind c) humidity d) precipitation

61. Hydrogen energy can be tapped through

a) heat pumps b)fuel cells c) photovoltaic cells d) gasifiers

62. The source of Electromagnetic radiation is

a) Sun b) Wind c) Tide d) Water

63. Biogas is gaseous fuel composed mainly of

a) Methane and Carbon dioxide b) methane and hydrogen sulphide
c) Methane and carbon monoxide d) None of the above

64. Nuclear wastes is active for

a) 5 years b) 10 years c )50 years d) centuries
65. Biomass consists of
a) Lignin b) Hemi cellulose c) Cellulose d) All of the above